City Green now a Net hot zone

NEW HAVEN  From a blanket on the New Haven Green or a lunch table in the Chapel Street Subway shop, people with laptops and Palm Pilots can tap into the Internet without so much as a cable or wire.

Tara York

Published
12:00 am EDT, Wednesday, August 20, 2003

Connecticut Telephone launched a public "hot zone" Tuesday from a platform atop 129 Church St. with permission from Salatto Real Estate. For a daily or monthly fee  after a 30-day free trial  people can tap into the service.

Much like the revolution of cellular phones, the Internet is emerging as the next massive wireless communication outlet.

The New Haven hot zone will reach anywhere on the Green and in several surrounding buildings, including the U.S. District Court and New Haven Free Public Library (a daily plan is $2.95, and a monthly plan is $29.95).

Rust Muirhead, Connecticut Telephone CEO, said the Green was selected as one its first launching sites for several reasons, including its proximity to the courthouse. He said courthouses are rife with lawyers and jurors desperate to be productive while theyre anchored indoors between proceedings.

New Haven Librarian James C. Welbourne said he was relieved to hear the service is accessible from the library, and hopes it will ease the overwhelming demand to use the librarys 25 Internet-access computers.

"If folks are able to bring in their own wireless computer and get a tabletop somewhere else, they can use our building," Welbourne said. "Theres a waiting list to use (the librarys computer) facilities."

The current wait to use an Internet computer there can be anywhere from a half-hour to 45 minutes.

"This technology is something people have gotten very used to using in their home," and now they want it to be mobile, Muirhead said.

Communications companies say that, soon, the service will be as widespread as cellular phone towers, propped on the rooftops of urban skyscrapers and suburban churches across the country.

The New Haven hot zone is one of the first known in the state, but there are already several "hot spots" in the region. Muirhead said hot spots are more localized, typically available through private businesses, including Starbucks. Those services are usually exclusive to customers and employees.

Yale University has a service exclusively for students and faculty, and requires an access code. Bradley International Airport and several hotels also have hot spots for travelers.

Area communications companies have plans to outfit entire regions of the country with services so that people can have seamless wireless Internet access similar to wireless telephone service.

SBC Communications Inc. has announced that its WiFi service, called FreedomLink, will be launched at more than 6,000 venues by the end of 2006 in its 13-state region. SBC will begin developing the service in other states this fall, and in Connecticut next year.

"Youll have a seamless experience, just like in the office and in your home," said Beverly Levy, SBC spokeswoman.

Verizon Wireless, which has private hot spots in the state, has similar plans.